National Republican., 1887-07-07

1000 feet overhead, It's height being about
$500 feet above the sea level. This point
is reached by fine road, and the view
from 1t amply repays one for walk or
drive to It.
From Knoxville to the Mississippi river
and on to Austin and Waco, Texas, the
route passes through many cities and vii
lages and rich and fertile and, most OF the
way, thickly settled sections tapping over
twenty railroad lines, making them con-
tribute In no small degree to Its business
and shortening the distance between our
eastern cities and the thickly settled por.
tions of the interior of TeXas about $40
miles, as compared with the st. Louis aud
Iron Mountain or the Kansas Texas route,
and nearly 100 miles as compared with the
Memphis and Little Rock route, these be-
ing the principal through routes from the
east to Texas. The climatic conditions are
more pleasant and agreeable, and the varied
scenery and places OF attraction are far
more entertaining along this line than along
the present routes travelled, and In few
years people will'wonder why the building
OF this great central unrivaled double track
railroad was so long delayed.
The way business along this central route
Will make 1t paying road without any re.
gard to through business, which also must
be enormous. 1t will build and pay for
Itself, section after section, az 1t is com
pleted: and II Is safe to calculate that, even
If II shall be constructed on borrowed capt.
tai, 1t will construct and clear itself of all
Indebtedness within twenty (20) years after
1t shall have been completed. After the
grading and bridging shall have been done,
the road can be double tracked and equipped
on Its own twenty-year 4per cent bonds, II
such course shall be deemed advisable.
THE CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, AND GIN
CINNATI BRANCH.
From Hot and Warm Springs valley will
be about lO5 miles, and will there connect
with the Chesapeake and ohio railroad,
also the Onto Central, now the Kanawha
Valley railroad, both roads leading to the
Ohio river and there connecting with direct
railroad lines to Cincinnati, Chicago, st.
Louis, and every important point In the
west, and making the distance from Bal
timore and Washington city about 2l5 miles
less than the Pennsylvania railroad, Harris
burg line, and about llS miles less than the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad line, thus
saving one engine and train In one year
the enormous travel of 7S,475 miles; and
on the usual daily two through passenger
trains each way there win be saved In 1866
days the useless travel OF 3l3 900 miles as
compared with the Pennsylvania Harris
burg railroad line, and about l72, $50 miles
as compared with the Baltimore and Ohio,
aud saving in ten years 3, $4,000 miles as
compared with the former, and rec, 500
as compared with the latter railroad line,
to say nothing of the great waste and wear
of rolling stock on through freight trains.
The amount saved on wear aud destruction
OF rolling stock ON this direct line, as COM
pared with the two railroad lines above
named, will contribute much to extend the
two arms OF this double track line to the
Mississippi river. The seethlng and turbu.
lent populations OF the west and southwest
will require In twenty-five years double the
number OF the present tracks to the seaboard
From the Hot and Warm Springs Valley this
branch railroad line will pass for distance
OF 80 miles through almost inexhaustible
fields of common coal veins, g, 3, and even
II feet thick, and camel coal veins 3 to feet
thick, also red and white ash coal In
abundance, easily taken ont of the hills, re.
quiring no deep mining. Along this line Is
the famous red ash semi -bituminous coal,
pronounced by experts the "hest coking
coal In the world" A fine quality Of besse-
mer iron ore is abundant on this branch.
There are vast quantities Of shipbuildng
oak, white pine, ash, poplar, walnut, cherry,
hickory, birch, and other valuable t'mbers,
and the two railroads above named will al.
ways contribute as important feeders to this
great central and direct route and II may be
observed by those acquainted with railroad
lines that, where this route crosses other
lines, they must inevitably act to some ex.
tent as feeders, hence as fast as section after
section OF the road is completed, each sec
tlon will be profitable investment, and
when the main line is completed 10 Clifton
Forge and Coyington and to Knoxville,
and the above named branch to Charleston,
w. Va and Cincinnati, IL must be one of
the best paying roads In the country, and
will require double tracks from Washington
city to the Hot and Warm Spring Valley,
and also double tracks to the great manu-
featuring city OF Knoxville, Tenn, and to
Charleston, w. Va, and Cincinnati,
IMPORTANT RAILROAD CONNECTIONS WITH
THIS GREAT THROUGH ROUTE.
1t crosses the Manassas branch OF the
Virginia Midland, near Thoroughfare, 30
miles from Washington clty;distance by the
present route, As miles, 10 miles saved
by the direct route; the Shenandoah Valley
road to Luray Caverns, 10 miles; distance
by the present route l2s miles, SO saved,
the Baltimore and ohio Valley road at Har-
risonburg, 102 miles; distance by the
present route l55 miles, SO saved and the
Chesapeake and Ohio road at Covington,
1856 miles; distance by the present route,
233 miles, ~ miles saved by the direct
route, without any change OF cars. IL will
connect at Clifton Forge with the Chesa-
peake and Ohio and the Richmond and
Allegheny railroads; and the five railroads
named must contribute M important feeders
to this drecv central route; and the other
numerous crossings throughout the whole
course of this double track through route
will be as advantageous as those five Just